About all of us have heard of the “Seven Deadly Sins.” They are lust, sloth, gluttony, envy, greed, pride and anger.
I can relate. Maybe I should change my last name to “Deadlysinwyler.” Anyway, I had to pick my “favorite deadly sin.” This is because one of my mail order catalogs was selling all seven deadly sin “faces” in the form of three dimensional wall hung plaques. All the faces wore medieval cowls with a scroll shape under the face with the name of that specific sin.
They were expensive so I figured I could only afford one and I was torn between “Lust” and “Sloth.” Lust was depicted as a panting, lascivious dirty old man. Sloth had a lazily drooping face somewhat resembling Mick Jagger.
In my decision-making process I knew lust was something I did “in my heart” but sloth was something I frequently committed, with my whole body, kicked-back in my recliner, sprawling supinely on my couch, or lying too long in my bed.
“Oh how long will you sleep, O sluggard.” (Proverbs 6:9)
But then again I thought maybe I should order the lust face. I think about it, and do it in my heart, enough. In fact, it’s a sin I would like to be more proactive with, but God will nuke me if I do, so I don’t.
“Sloth” is really where I’m at … For example, right now I’m sitting in a mess of a house writing this article when I should be exercising, cleaning, doing laundry, and washing dishes (not necessarily in that order.) But they’re not nearly as much fun!
So it was done. I ordered my sloth-face plaque and hung it on the side of my gas wall furnace where I can view it whilst lying on my couch. (I’ve nicknamed my furnace “Hell” because it emits an explosive “whoosh” and blast of flaming heat when it turns on.)
But I found yet another polyresin figure in my catalog that I just had to have. She’s the one and one-half foot tall “Judgment Angel.” She’s beautiful, if foreboding, with wings tightly furled and crossed arms shielding her bodice. (She takes one to the fiery pit after a bad judgment day.) I hung her inside my front door. I can see her from my couch, too.
As well as lust and sloth, I do the other five “deadlies” as well … Gluttony is most gratifying. Unfortunately I’m diabetic, so I forego prolonged pleasures of the board in an attempt to forestall amputations, kidney failure, strokes, blindness and other diabetic complication that would ruin my sunny disposition.
Envy. I do envy young people but I think, upon refection, I wouldn’t want to go on that trip again … Even though I know I could make some improvements based on hindsight.
In terms of pride, mine took the form of narcissism, being stuck on myself, until I all too recently discovered the world doesn’t revolve around me ó and that’s a good thing!
Greed. I do that one, too. I buy stuff with money I don’t even have (the plastic, you know). I’m not really in trouble with that yet but I’m heading in that direction ó when the teaser rates reset and with long-term refinanced debt that will just keep coming, year after year. Looks like I’m going to be punished for this one here on earth!
Anger. I get angry, and frustrated, because I don’t dare become the really bad miscreant of a person that I would sometimes like to be. Like The Stones song “Sympathy for the Devil,” “I’m in need of some restraint.” I don’t like it though. I also get angry that apparently, at this point, it doesn’t look like I’m going to have a perfect life. But I’m getting over that.
I leave you with the antidote to the seven deadly sins as propounded by the early Catholic Church: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, forgiveness, kindness, humility ó and peace too. Shalom.